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Earl of East And Uncommon Collaborate Bring You The Scents You Miss Under Lockdown

by Rudy Sanchez on 05/12/2020 | 3 Minute Read

Mandated social distancing rules aimed at reducing the spread of the novel coronavirus had put on-hold or canceled festivities and milestone events for many, like proms, graduations, marriages, and birthdays. 

Even as guidelines are being eased or lifted, it is as yet uncertain when large groups can gather once again. Not knowing when we’ll be participating in activities we once took for granted—like catching a movie in a theater, sharing a pitcher of beer at a bar with friends, or packing up the camping equipment and going to a music festival—has most of us moping around like “Sad Escobar.”

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Inspired by the memories of once available occurrences and recreation, Earl of East and Uncommon Creative Studio released a set of candles called “Scents of Normality.” The series consists of three candles that smell of three distinct places - cinemas, the local bar, and music festivals. In addition to assuaging the melancholy caused by the lack of social activities, proceeds of the candles go towards supporting Hospitality Action, a UK non-profit assisting service sector employees financially impacted by COVID-19.

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Featuring illustrations from Portland-based Lan Troung, Thomas Hedger of London, and Vancouver-based Victoria Sieczka, the labels elicit the same feelings of forlorn nostalgia for the places we once took for granted. Troung’s illustration of a casually held joint emitting rainbow smoke with a structure in the background is reminiscent of those weekends spent on the lawn soaking in the sun and some of your favorite bands. Ledger’s label gets dominated by a boozy blue and half-full pint while Sieczka’s cinema label immediately transports one back to their last outing inside a dark, packed theater.

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The copy accompanying the candles becomes a wistful, flowery ode to our favorite social outings. Rather than just reminisce on the positives, it presents a holistic image with descriptive phrases like “a waft of testosterone gives way to the ersatz-lemon of a urinal block,” adding that bit of funk we instantly recognize when we walk into our favorite watering hole.

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“Scent has a unique way of conjuring memories and transporting us to places we’d love to be,” said East of Earl co-founder Niko Dafkos on the candle’s site. “From the cobbled streets of Copenhagen to the Onsen baths of Japan, our scented candles are all inspired by travel. While we can still dream about these far-flung destinations, it’s the places closer to home that we miss the most. Having the opportunity to recreate the essence of these familiar haunts while also supporting an industry that has been hit so hard by the crisis is a real honor.”

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